A Day in the Life of Harry Potter
by jupimako
Summary: “Fine!” Harry said to Ron after yet another jab Ron had made about what a privileged life Harry had. “If you really think my life is something to be jealous over, let’s switch places for a few days... ::first year fic:: - ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - The Suggestion

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. T.T

"Fine!" Harry said to Ron after yet another jab Ron had made about what a privileged life Harry had.

"If you really think my life is something to be jealous over, let's switch places for a few days and then you can tell me if you still think that I have a perfect home life." His mask of indifference came up to shield the hesitation he felt at having said anything at all.

Ron paced in front of him, fuming, "alright then, sounds like a good idea to me. I wouldn't mind a few days of fame, fortune, and pampering. I'll go home with your muggle rellies, and spend a week in your place. You can go home with my family."

Harry looked at his friend with a puzzled expression on his face. How could anybody be so dense. He'd been dropping hints of the abuse he'd suffered at the hands of the Dursley's since the first day they had met on the Hogwarts Express. Hadn't his arriving alone at the station, baggy clothing, and ignorance of the wizarding world, clued Ron in to his less than privileged life? They had been sharing a dorm for months now, and Ron still seemed to think he was waited on hand and foot by his Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin.

The truth of the matter was that he had spent the last ten years of his life living in the cupboard under the stairs and treated like a hated servant. He was expected to clean and cook for his relatives, do all the chores around the house, and act as stress relief for his Uncle on his "bad" days. In Harry's opinion he was lucky if he got one meal a day, normally the school lunch, and escaped encounters with his Uncle without a new bruise.

His Aunt and Uncle loved belittling him, calling him "Freak" and "Boy". He wasn't allowed to ask questions, and if he spoke out of turn he would be punished by the withholding of food, being locked into his cupboard, or both. The frequent accidents that seemed to happen around him did not help the matter either.

He hadn't even known his name until his first day of school. His teacher had called the name Harry Potter out a number of times, and he hadn't known to respond. After that incident, Dudley began to call him No Name. The other kids, fearing his bullying, had followed along with Dudley and his friends, shunning Harry and calling him names.

Harry's years at school had been lonely at best. He was not allowed to do better in class than Dudley, and was looked down upon by his teachers. Harry had, on two separate occasions, tried to tell his teachers about the problems he was having at home. The first time he had been completely ignored, his teacher had thought he was making up stories to get his cousin into trouble. The other time, when he was seven, the teacher had actually called his house to check into the situation.

That night, Harry had learned not to talk about his home life to an outsider ever again.

After his failed attempts at getting help, he had finally realized that help was not going to come and had stopped trying. He had closed into himself and went about his life living from day to day.

The only time young Harry was happy was when he was reading. He wasn't allowed books at home, but during recess he had received permission to visit the library rather than going to the playground. He spent every moment he could reading and learning, trying to absorb as much information as he could for when he was finally away from the Dursley's.

Young Harry was actually extremely intelligent, but had learned to hide it well. He was mediocre in school, and tried his best to stay quiet around the house. Harry had actually become so good at being mediocre that he hadn't realized he had continued the practice at Hogwarts until he had received his midterm grades. He had actually known answers to two of the three questions Professor Snape asked at the beginning of the year but hadn't answered in fear of what would happen if he did.

Being friends with a slacker didn't help him at all either. Whenever he wanted to go to the library or study, Ron was there talking about Quidditch or wanting to play chess. Hermione, his other friend, was the complete opposite of Ron, but was so enthusiastic in her wanting to share her knowledge that Harry never had the chance to begin to answer questions in class. She was always there with the answer before he had the chance to figure things out for himself.

He realized this was her personality, and that he would just have to adapt again. He was afraid that if he stopped her, she would stop wanting to be his friend.

They trio hadn't been friends for that long, and he was worried that they would leave him if he tried to change his behavior. He didn't have enough confidence or self-esteem to try and brake away from the mold of being the Boy-Who-Lived/Gryffindor Golden Boy created by the other students and teachers.

The argument between Ron and Harry had been reoccurring every few days since the holidays when Harry had blithely handed over the present his "family" had sent to him. Ron was extremely unhappy that Harry's family had sent him Money. He actually had no idea of the value of the coin Harry had so easily given him, but Ron knew it must be a regular occurrence of theirs. He didn't seem to want to listen when Harry told him the amount was equivalent to a few Knuts. In Ron's mind money was money and if Harry's family sent him that as a present, it couldn't be a one time thing. Money was a sore spot for Ron, his family being so poor, and he knew that Harry was rich; he was the boy-who-lived after all.

After the suggestion of switching had been made, the room became silent as the two boys looked at each other. The thought running through Harry's head was that he was stupid and shouldn't have said anything; he didn't really want Ron to find out the truth of how he was treated.

Ron on the other hand, was becoming more excited by the second. He could see it in his mind… the beautiful bedroom, the new clothing, the small family that would never prank him.

Harry began to panic. How could he get out of this one… After the Stone incident a few days prior, he had thought they were over their problems, but it seemed the new fame going after the stone had garnered him had only made Ron even more jealous. Even the fact that he was the best chess player in the whole school had not staved Ron's envy.

After the minute he spent collecting his thoughts and remembering his true life, Harry knew he would have to figure out a way to stop things before they got out of hand. He could not allow his first friend to go home with the Dursley's.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, a Saturday luckily, Harry woke up early and escaped to the library. He was worried that his presence would spark Ron into remembering the conversation they had had the night before.

Harry had no interest in letting Ron find out about his home life. He hadn't been in the Wizarding World for very long, but he could tell that the idea of abuse was very foreign to his pureblood friend.

He was hoping to find a solution to his problem in the library … He needed a way for them to switch without anyone noticing. He had found that the books in the library tended to have the information you needed if you spent long enough looking. He did wish that the Hogwarts Library had a better system though.

Harry thought longingly of the libraries at home, all of the information at the touch of your fingers on the catalogue computers. How he wished Hogwarts had a better catalogue system. Madam Pince wasn't any help, and the books were filed by subject… by magic. And though the library was full of magical books, he wished he could find some muggle books as well. He felt that the muggle-born students should have the option of continuing the muggle subjects they had taken before coming to Hogwarts. How would they be able to function in the Muggle world if they were ignorant?

Magic was a wonderful thing, but it was not the save all – end all. Harry knew he would need to be able to function in both worlds if he were to survive. His encounter with Quirrel and the spirit had scared him. He couldn't believe that the event had actually happened, it felt like a surreal dream.

And the Headmaster, how could he have not known Voldemort was in the castle? Didn't he have wards or something to let him know if evil was around? Wasn't Hogwarts supposed to be the safest place in the world?

All of a sudden, Harry was jolted out of his musings by a voice in the next stack. He looked down at the books surrounding him and realized that he wasn't getting anywhere fast, and maybe he should try working instead of daydreaming.

Where to find a spell to switch… he had looked in charms, he had looked in transfiguration (though he knew it would be too advanced for a first year). The only place left to look was the potions books.

He knew he was good at potions. He had been cooking for the Dursley's for years, and that was the one thing they did not complain about. Snape however, graded him so poorly he was at the bottom of the class. He knew also that the Slytherins tended to throw things and sabotage his potions while he was busy preparing ingredients.

Harry had been practicing on his own for months now, and could brew any potion up through third year perfectly. He was still struggling with some of the fourth year potions because he wasn't sure about the reactions the ingredients were supposed to have. He would need to do more research on the subject… he only hoped that he would be allowed to have his books and do his homework over the summer.

Potions, potions, potions… ah! Here was a maybe… he looked at the title of the book. Prank Potions for Beginners by Leila P. skimming the contents he found a winner. The Personality Switching Potion. It was designed to switch the pranked people for three days. Once ingested, the two (or more) effected would find themselves in each others bodies until the effects wore off and they automatically switched back.

With this potion, they could switch the day before the train would take them home. This way, he would be able to lessen the time Ron spent with his relatives. He would tell Ron that they would need the day to learn their counterparts habits and the like. Then they would have the train ride to trick the other students into believing they were each other, and then Ron would have one day with the Dursleys.

Harry knew how that would go. They would be met at the station, glared at, yelled at in the car, belittled, yelled at again, and then "he" would be stuffed back into the cupboard for the summer, only to be let out for chores. He didn't think he would still be allowed Dudley's Second Bedroom.

Harry honestly didn't want Ron to switch with him. He felt that his life was something that should be hidden, but he did not know how to get out of the situation in which he found himself. Ron could be amazingly stubborn at times, and this had become one of them. All evening the boy had been tenaciously pestering Harry, and he hadn't known how to say no. He had finally escaped by claiming tiredness and retiring to bed.

He knew that if they didn't go through with this stupid scheme, Ron would be unbearable and might even stop wanting to be Harry's friend. Though of course, when he found out what his friends life was truly like he might stop wanting to be his friend anyways.

Harry sighed and copied down the potion. He had all of the ingredients needed, and it only took an hour to brew. He may as well get started now… they only had a few more days before the Hogwarts express would be taking them back to London.

Why did life have to be so complicated?


	3. Chapter 3

-- ::insert witty disclaimer stating non-ownership of Lady Rowling's HP universe:: --

a/n: hey y'all XD. Sphinxgurl, Aufera, Spots on a Pony, and Lady of the Dark thanks so much for reviewing!! I wasn't really expecting to get any responses to my fic, and y'all reviewing with such nice things to say really made my day.

Sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out… and for it being so short… Real life has caught up with me and I'm insanely busy - school, internship, finding a job and an apartment for after graduation... ::sigh::

I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I will hopefully find time to post another sooner rather than later.

Chapter 3

Later that day, Harry wandered slowly back to the Gryffindor common room via the longest route he could remember. He had finished brewing the switching potion just minutes earlier, and the possible consequences of taking it were swirling chaotically through his mind.

He knew that if things were going to go smoothly, he would need to brief Ron on proper behavior while at his home… he only hoped the stubborn boy would listen and heed his advice. He didn't want his first friend to be hurt because he made some stupid mistake.

Another worry that had recently sprung into his consciousness was the fact that _he_ would be going home with _Ron's_ family. That idea scared him… He had never met Mr. or Mrs. Weasley, Ron's younger sister Ginny, or his older brothers Charlie and Bill. Yes, he had heard stories, but the only Weasley's he was familiar with were Ron, the Twins, and Percy. He had no idea how to behave around them. No idea how to behave like a son or a brother!

They were Ron's family… and while he appreciated the presents Mrs. Weasley had sent him for Christmas, he was uncomfortable with the idea of intruding into their lives. He would be seeing a very personal glimpse into the Life of one Ronald Weasley. What he wouldn't give to really be a part of a family, loved and taken care of…

He sighed… he needed to stop panicking about what was to come. He knew he could handle anything sent his way. Hadn't he beaten a possessed professor and the spirit of his parent's murderer? He could face his best friend's family. That was what he would keep repeating in his head… if he told himself he could succeed enough times, he would. He had to.

He knew after talking to Ron, that the other boy saw this whole thing as an adventure, a chance to prank his family and basically the whole school. Showing up his brothers and getting a free and happy couple of days as the famous Boy-Who-Lived. His mind was that of a carefree child. Harry understood that while it was true they'd be pranking everyone, the consequences of this could be drastic.

The words "Password Please Mr. Potter," broke him out of his musings. He realized he had finally reached the common room… he must have been deeper in his mind than he had realized.

Looking up at the Lady he said the password, and the door swung to allow him access to the land of Red and Gold. He was a Gryffindor, sod it all… he _could_ do this! He would just have to dredge up every last ounce of courage he had in his body. Maybe he should have let the hat put him into Slytherin; he wouldn't be having this problem if he were truly cunning or ambitious.

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It was the morning of doom, the morning when Harry and Ron would switch lives… Harry woke up groggily long before the sun broke the horizon. He wanted to finish packing all of his things before his dorm mates awoke. He put his books, his potions supplies, the presents he had received at Christmas, and the offerings he had amassed while he was in the hospital wing into his beat-up old trunk.

He was very worried about his invisibility cloak and his wand… the boys would be transporting each others possessions, and Harry felt distinctly uncomfortable with the idea that the only things he owned would be out of his reach.

When he finished packing, he looked over at Ron's bed and then crept over to wake the snoring boy.

"Five more minutes mum" Ron groggily mumbled at Harry's shaking.

Harry rolled his eyes, smiling, after a year of living together; he knew that Ron could sleep though anything.

He stopped suddenly and hit his head against the bed post. Could things get any worse? Aunt Petunia wouldn't be happy with Ron/Harry's behavior in the least. Harry would just have to stress the point that Ron needed to be on his guard and wake up no matter what. That would be the first thing he would tell the other boy during their "training" after breakfast.

Finally Ron woke up and groggily looked up at Harry.

"Morning, mate."

Harry shushed him and quietly asked if he had finished packing up all of his stuff. Ron responded in with a positive nod, and Harry made a split second decision.

He handed Ron the Switching Potion and told him that they would take it on the count of three.

In his brain were running all of the possible scenarios of how to keep Ron from spending any extra time with the Dursleys... If the potion only lasted for 3 days, and this was the day before the train would take them home, they would switch back during the early morning hours of vacation day #2. Ron would not be subjected to a second morning of Aunt Petunia and her strict schedule of chores.

It was hard to predict what his family's reactions would be to having him back at their home… he knew they would be horrible, but he didn't know if they would continue to ignore him as they had done before he left for school, or if they would be back to their "Go to your Cupboard and no meals" attitude. Harry didn't even know if he would be living in Dudley's second bedroom or not. There were so many unknowns he felt nauseous.

Only a second into his musings and he felt something shift. All of a sudden he was the one sitting on the bed. He opened "his" eyes and was shocked at the clarity of his vision. As he looked around, the first thing he noticed was his body standing next to him grinning in delight.


	4. Chapter 4 Ron

Disclamer: If you think Harry, Ron, or any of the other characters belong to me… I can only wish… I raise my glass to JKR for her imagination.

A/N: Hi everyone!! I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to post this admittedly short addition to A Day in the Life of Harry Potter. Since the last time I posted (Feb of 2007) I have had a job at the NY State Museum along with a number of undergrad and grad courses, Graduated from Uni, gone back home to Texas, gotten a job with GEOS Language Corp. (a English conversation school), moved to Japan, and gotten (mostly) acclimated with a new country. Oh! And I got to go to Tokyo Disney Sea over new years. It's AWESOME!!! So different from Land and World back in the states.

RL is a lot of fun right now, but it's also insanely busy… so I can't post as often as I'd like too. I've actually been so busy that I didn't realize how long it had actually been since I last posted a chapter… I want to thank xHarryIsMyHomeboyx for writing a "please post a new chapter review" that kicked me into gear XD. So without further ado – I give you the newest installment of A Day in the Life of Harry Potter.

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Chapter 4 – Ron

Ron's POV

Ron… Ron loved being Harry Potter's best friend. Honestly, he did. But every so often, every once in a while, the green monster of jealousy reared its ugly head when Harry was around. He didn't really mean to get jealous, but _everything_ seemed to happen to Harry Potter! Harry Potter this, Harry Potter that. Ugh, it made his blood boil sometimes, and now! Now, Harry Potter had done something again. He had saved the stone from Quirrell.

Sure, Ron had gone along and helped out with McGonagall's chess set (Harry was awful at chess), and sure, Ron had gotten points for his part, but it was Harry's points that brought them to a tie. To make things even worse, it was Neville, shy, bumbling, Neville that got the last ten points to win Gryffindor the House Cup! Didn't He deserve credit for being loyal, for going with Harry to help rescue the stone, for getting INJURED in the process???

So he yelled, he finally cracked. He had gone off on his best friend, again, about what a wonderful life he had. He Knew, he KNEW that his accusations were wrong… Harry was tiny, way too small for their age, and he _had_ picked up on other things... how Harry shied away from touch, hated being yelled at, how baggy his clothes were, and how he was actually smarter than he let on. And he cared. After living together for a year how could he not have noticed? He didn't really mean the things he was always saying, but his traitorous mouth continually spewed when he least wanted it to.

Ron was shocked then when his friend's voice interrupted his musings.

"_Fine!" Harry had said… _Fine?? Wait, what?

"_If you really think my life is something to be jealous over, let's switch places for a few days and then you can tell me if you still think that I have a perfect home life." _

So, Ron did the only thing he could think of… he said yes. He wanted to prove to himself that Harry _was_ living a pampered life. And, well, if Harry wasn't living well… Ron was Harry's best friend and he would do something about it! Ron didn't know what he would do exactly, but he would do something.

Looking at his friends horrified face; he made a split second decision. If Harry backed out of the offer, Ron would never find out the truth… so he had to do something to show Harry that he would not let go of the idea easily. In that split second, Ron decided the best thing to do would be to act excited. He didn't want Harry to know that he would be doing this switch with more than one thing in mind. So he acted, he was good at acting with so many siblings… He took on an air of excitement, and let Harry think that that he was contemplating all of the wonderful things that he would be experiencing as soon as school ended... Harry's beautiful bedroom, the new clothing, the small family that would never prank him. All of the things he hoped were true for his best friend. All of the things that he knew were false…

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Over the next few days, Harry disappeared. Ron wasn't sure where he went, be he suspected it was to the library. That was fine with Ron. He needed time to plan… He was hoping for a week with the Dursleys… that would give him enough time to see what he needed to see and really get to know his best friend's family. A week was not to be however… It seemed that Harry really didn't want the switch to happen.

Ron had had to dig his claws into the idea and pester Harry into accepting that they really would be switching and that there was nothing he could do about it… save for not finding a way to do it of course… but Harry had actually come through. Ron wasn't really sure what to think… If Harry had really _not_ wanted to do the switch he could have just told Ron that he couldn't find a way. The book Harry had found, Prank Potions for Beginners by Leila P, was perfect. The only downside was the three day time limit, but Ron could work with that… he would just have to dig deeper more quickly than planned.

Harry's idea of one day at school to learn about each other's "home personalities", one day to fool others on the train, and a day at each other's homes was problematic, but Ron couldn't see a way around it. It was actually a pretty good idea seeing that they didn't know how to act around their given families. The twins would eat "Ron" alive if Harry didn't know all of his special ways to get around, and there were other things that would be important to teach or describe o him… like how to degnome the garden at the Burrow… as that was one of the first tasks his Mum generally gave his elder brothers upon their return from school every year. If Harry didn't know the basics of life at the Burrow, people would get suspicious quickly.

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Ron was happily dreaming about his Mum's home cooked breakfasts when he felt his shoulder begin to shake. He answered the nudges with his customary "Five more minutes mum." Sleep was good. Bed was warm. The shaking started again, and finally conscious he started to move. After turning over, he groggily opened his eyes to see Harry standing off to the side of his bed. Then it hit him. Today was the day! All of a sudden, a vial of potion was thrust into his field of vision. He took it gingerly and when he heard 3, they both downed the nasty concoction at the same time.

Seconds later, "Harry" looked down at "Ron" still curled up in his warm bed and grinned in delight. The Switch had worked.


End file.
